


touch me (just try it)

by lostin_space



Series: Touch Me [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, i swear these tags make it sound sadder than it is, implied depression, implied depression inflicted shitty eating habits, mentioned animal death, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: Everyone develops some type of power when they go through puberty. Alex's just happens to be that anyone he touches their heart stops.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Touch Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683790
Comments: 42
Kudos: 213
Collections: Roswell New Mexico ▶ Michael Guerin / Alex Manes





	touch me (just try it)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsidiousIntent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsidiousIntent/gifts).



> this fic is lightly inspired by the show Misfits and if you haven't watched it GO DO IT (but only the first 3 seasons, we don't talk about the others)

Most people didn't remember the day their gifts kicked in. Typically because it was gradual, it would just start one day and then eventually they'd notice. Alex didn't have that luxury.

Alex remembered the exact day his life changed: May 3rd, 2003.

He woke up to his dog running into his bedroom, barking and jumping into his bed. He'd reached out to pet him and then watched first hand as his dog begin to seize beneath his hand until he died right there. He was fine and then he wasn't. Alex called for his mom, crying and running to meet her halfway. She touched his face like she always did and, just like that, she fell on the floor.

Thankfully, since the power was still developing, she was able to survive via his father giving her CPR and having her rushed to the hospital. They were able to restart her heart that Alex had stopped.

The doctors had brought in a gift specialist to speak with Alex and they all but quarantined him to do so. It was the scariest moment of his life when they told him he'd have to be extra careful now. He couldn't touch anyone. He was considered legally a weapon. They put him in secluded spaces in school but it didn't stop him from being bullied, he took pills that were supposed to subdue it but didn't stop the neighbor's cat from dying when she brushed against his leg, and he adapted to being covered head to toe at all times but it didn't stop people from treating him like a plague. Nothing stopped his father from suggesting he be sent away and nothing stopped his parents from divorcing, his father taking his brothers and his mother taking Alex because she was the only one who wasn't scared to be in the same room as him.

The closest thing he got to human interaction these days were talks with his gift specialist and his mother. Even then, he couldn't touch them. When he cried, they couldn't console him. "Don't be silly," they said when he suggested a hazmat suit so that he could get one more hug, "there's no guarantee that'd work." Instead, he got a weighted blanket for Christmas.

He regretted not appreciating all the hugs all his mother gave him before this happened.

"Earth to Alex."

Alex looked up to see his mother handing him a plate of food. He involuntarily scrunched up his nose, slipping out of his seat.

"Not hungry."

"You never are," she said, tossing a Ziploc bag of cereal at him. He caught it and put it on his backpack. "Eat that at least."

Alex hummed in agreement though he knew he wouldn't. She kissed her hand and blew it to him.

"Love you, have a good day."

Somehow that always felt like a joke.

Alex walked to school on autopilot, no longer phased as people crossed the street to get away from him. Everyone in town knew about him for their own safety. As soon as he was positively diagnosed with a deadly gift, the entire town was notified. He tried not to think of how he was on the same level as a sex offender.

He walked through the halls at school and people parted like the Red Sea. The worst part was he couldn't blame them. He didn't know what a simple brush of his hand would do. He'd hurt three living things in his life and they all involved prolonged touching. He didn't know what he could get away with and he didn't want to try.

He got to class first, a class full of other "special" gifted people. People whose gifts definitely made it more difficult for them to integrate with the rest. Like Cara who could hear people's thoughts but only the negative ones or Max who had electrokinesis to the point no one really wanted to touch him either.

Alex sat in the far back in a chair that was separated from everyone else, a circle of desks around him that no one sat in. He fiddled with his gloves mindlessly as he waited for class to start. Then he could go home and watch YouTube until he fell asleep and then repeat. He figured that's what he'd be doing the rest of his life. He'd never get a job like this, he'd never get a boyfriend. It was just... this.

And then a ray of sunshine entered the room.

Not a literal one, of course, but a boy with glowing curls and a bright smile on his face. He walked in with skip in his step, bringing a piece of paper to the teacher. She smiled and welcomed him and told him to sit wherever. The boy scanned the room and, when his eyes landed on Alex, he smiled brighter. Alex swallowed hard and kept his face as neutral as possible despite the fact he could feel the tips of his ears getting hot.

"Hey, I'm Michael," the guy said as he took a seat _right beside_ Alex. It was the closest anyone really got to Alex these days and he couldn't help but eye him weirdly. Michael still smiled. "Cool gloves."

Alex pulled his hands into his lap.

"So," Michael continued, clearly having it in his mind that he needed to get Alex to talk to him, "Let me guess. Gloves, so, something to do with your hands. Cryokinesis? Tactile empathy? Oh, I knew one girl, whoever she touched just suddenly found her to be the hottest person in the room. Sounds cool at first, but it kinda sucked long term."

Alex continued to stare at him like he'd lost it. He must be new in school. How come no one told him already to stay away from Alex? That seemed to be the first thing people did. But... He was in this class too. Maybe he had something special too. Alex didn't ask.

"Not very talkative, are you? Oh, maybe that's apart of your thing!" Michael said, excited enough to make Alex smile without warning.

"No, it's not," Alex told him. Michael's eyes seemed to light up like the goddamn sun and he was so gorgeous that Alex could hardly take it. Was this a special torture method? Send someone sweet to him just so he could be tempted to touch before the end up hating him like everyone else. "But I don't like talking about it."

"Fair enough," Michael agreed, "What's your name?"

"Alex."

"Alex," Michael repeated and it made Alex melt. Definitely torture. "Can I borrow a pencil?" That put Alex firmly back into confusion territory.

"Why?"

"Because I need something to write with?" he said slowly, laughter in his voice. Oh God, Alex was going to die. "I forgot to bring anything, sue me."

"Okay," Alex agreed, pulling out a pencil from his bag. He held onto the very tip and held it out to Michael, careful that they wouldn't touch.

Except Michael took it and his fingers grazed Alex's.

Alex snatched his hand back, staring in horror as he waited. He waited to see that brightness drain from Michael's eyes, waited to see him fall, waited for his heart to stop beating. But it didn't happen.

"Relax," Michael laughed, curls bouncing as bright as ever as he leaned back into his seat. But Alex couldn't relax. Someone just touched him, albeit barely, but they _did_. "So your power is something negative. I get it."

Alex didn't pay attention in class that day. He was far too busy waiting for this beautiful man to die.

He never did.

-

"Alex, wait up!"

Alex was more than a little shocked when he turned his head to see Michael jogging his way. He was still smiling when he caught up to him. Did he ever not smile? He hoped not.

"You walk fast," Michael laughed, "Wanna go get coffee or something? Ms. Daley said I should talk to someone from class to catch me up and you're the only person I've talked to, so."

"Coffee?" Alex clarified. Michael nodded. "I... I can't."

"Why not?" Michael pouted. He _pouted_. Who the hell told him he could do that? "Please?"

"I..." Alex trailed off, trying to think of something before he ended up just holding up his hand as if that was an answer. "Can't."

Michael eyed it and pursed his lips. He seemed to do some hard thinking before he got that grin right back.

"No worries. There's a little cafe a couple blocks away. They serve anyone with whatever power, I asked them, so we'll just sit in the back and we'll tell them you've got a hand one so they can be careful," Michael solved like it was that easy. 

“I can just give you my notes.”

“Nooo, I wanna socialize. Socialize with me,” Michael pleaded. Alex didn't know how to say that it wasn't an option, he didn't know how to say that everyone already knew about him. But he also couldn't say no to spending time with him.

"Okay," Alex agreed hesitantly. Michael looked awfully proud of himself and gestured to the right.

“Let’s go,” Michael said. Alex didn’t know what to say, so he just started walking.

As they headed towards the cafe, Michael brushed his arm against him. Alex again looked at him in horror and moved away and waited for him to die. But Michael just laughed and kept walking. Alex was failing to see how this was funny. In fact, he was freaking the fuck out.

He was being touched. And no one was dying.

Alex didn't say anything though. Maybe it just wasn't enough contact, maybe those pills subdued it just enough that he could have slightly brushes of contact and it'd be okay. Still, it had him confused enough to the point Michael had to carry the entire conversation.

By the time they got to the Crashdown Cafe, he knew Michael had come here from Alberquerque, he'd moved because his foster parents were and they actually wanted to keep him, and that his favorite food was frosted Cheerios. And, still, all Alex heard was his heart thumping in his ears. A pretty ball of light touched him and didn’t burn out.

“Hi!” he cheered to the people working at the cafe. Even though he was new, they seemed to know him and waved to him. It was strange.

Alex could feel eyes on him as he followed Micahel to the back of the cafe, being extra cautious not to bump into anyone. They got the booth farthest to the back and Alex slid close to the wall, putting his bag on the other side of him. Michael sat across from him, still smiling.

“Okay, Mr. Alex. Teach me a thing,” Michael said. Alex could barely take it. Was it even legal to be that fucking cute?

Alex took out his notes and slid them over to Michael.

“That’s basically everything we’ve learned so far. Which I could’ve just given you in the first place,” Alex pointed out. Michael gave a little prideful shimmy and wiggled his eyebrows. Who the fuck allowed that? He had to look away.

“So, since we got _that_ out of the way,” Michael said, taking the notes and removing them from the table, “Tell me about you, about Roswell, about anything.” Were boys always this forward? Alex didn’t know that was a real thing boys did. He thought that was just a movie thing.

“Um,” Alex said, looking around so he didn’t have to look at how painfully adorable he was, “Not much to tell. I’m boring, Roswell’s boring.”

“I don’t believe that,” Michael insisted.

“No, really, I don’t do anything. I-I don’t even go out. I go to school and then I go home because...”

“Of the hand thing, right,” Michael said. They fell silent for a moment. Alex hated himself for it. He couldn’t even hold a conversation right. “Well, tell me just one thing.”

“What?” Alex asked hesitantly.

“How many queer people are in this town? Like, am I gonna have to play it straight or what?” 

And to think Alex assumed this boy could not fuck him up more.

Through a clearly playful grin, Michael said, “Man, you are the easiest person in the world to make blush, you know that?” Alex dropped his chin to his chest. “I kinda love it.”

“Um,” Alex breathed, trying to gather his thoughts. Why? Why? _Why? WHY? “_ Th-there aren’t many out people around town that I know of. But I’m not the right person to ask, I don’t know anything, I don’t hang out with anyone.”

“Oh,” Michael said, “Sorry, I wasn’t clear. That was a shitty way of asking _you_ if _you_ were queer.”

Alex looked up at him with wide eyes. Jesus fucking Christ. Could he be more forward? Actually, Alex didn’t want to meet someone who was more forward than him. He might explode.

“I...” Alex said, swallowing hard, “Yeah.”

Michael flashed a smile so wide, his cheeks made his eyes scrunch up. “Cool.”

Alex had never been more thankful to see another person when an older man walked up to the table, a notepad in hand and ready to take their order. Michael turned his smile onto him and Alex finally felt like he could take a breath away from the spotlight. 

“What can I get for you boys?” he asked.

Michael ordered for them both and the man gave Alex a kind smile that said ‘ _I know but it’s okay’_ and that was just a lot to deal with. This in itself was a lot to deal with. Michael was too much and too nice and too forward. He needed to process this. He needed to go home.

“I think I should go,” Alex said, grabbing his bag and going to slide out of the booth so he could leave.

“Wait, Alex,” Michael said, reaching out and grabbing his hand.

He grabbed his hand.

_He grabbed his hand._

Alex snatched his arm away so fast that he elbowed the back of the booth hard enough to hurt. Michael just looked confused that he would want to get away from him that badly.

“How are you not dead?” Alex asked, voice hushed and slightly horrified as Michael didn’t croak from grabbing his hand.

Michael blinked a few times in shock, slowly registering what was happening. Alex didn’t know how he hadn’t figured it out earlier. Maybe he was all looks and smiles and no fucking brain.

“Oh. So... you can kill people,” Michael said. Alex pressed his lips into a hard line and prepared for the backlash.

“Less of a can, more of an I don’t have a choice,” Alex retorted. Michael nodded slowly and that smile slowly, slowly started spreading across his cheeks.

“Well, isn’t this very convenient,” Michael said. Alex’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I can’t actually die.”

“You’re immortal?” Alex sputtered out. Michael scrunched up his nose and tilted his head.

“Invincible is the word they used. Like, I can’t get hurt. So, whatever your power is, it isn’t like a straight _death_ thing, it’s a hurt _then_ death thing. But since I can’t get hurt, you can’t kill me,” Michael said proudly.

Again, Alex could hear his heart thumping in his ears. His face was getting hot and he felt a little lightheaded. He didn’t know how to react to that. He didn’t know how to feel about possibly having someone he could touch... and that person being attractive and also impossibly nice. It didn’t make sense.

Besides, he’d never _heard_ of someone being invincible. It just wasn’t possible.

“I... I don’t believe you,” Alex said. Michael put his hands on the table and made a grabby motion.

“Let me prove it to you,” he said. Alex gulped hard and shook his head.

“What if you're wrong? I don’t want to kill you. I’m considered a weapon,” Alex insisted. Michael pursed his lips for a moment before his eyes lit up with an idea.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened the camera, turning it on himself. Alex felt like his lungs were fucking failing. What was happening?

“I, Michael Guerin, totally consent to be touched by Alex... I don’t know your last name, Alex. But if it kills me, then it’s totally my fault. Video evidence, see?” Michael said, promptly dropping his phone before making grabby hands all over again. “Lemme show you.”

Reluctantly, he raised his hand from beneath the table. He was too scared to reach for him or even meet him halfway, but... he could do that.

“Can I touch you?” Michael asked, a little more serious now as he fed off of Alex’s straight fear. 

“Okay,” Alex whispered. Michael gave that comforting smile and reached across the table, grabbing his hand between both of his.

Alex didn’t breathe basically the entire time. Michael held his hand for a moment before asking if he could take off the glove and, when he got the okay, he did. 

For the first time in years, Alex had skin to skin contact.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Michael said which was the only reason Alex knew he was crying, “It’s okay.”

“Everything I’ve touched since I was 13 had immediate heart failure,” Alex admitted, voice weak and crackly. But he didn’t care. He didn’t realize how much he missed being touched. 

Which was scary because he already knew he missed it a lot.

“Oh,” Michael said, blinking hard and eyes going wide like it _just_ clicked. And maybe it did. Maybe he didn’t get it. Honestly, Alex didn’t think he ever would. “Well, sounds like we make a pretty good match then, huh?”

Alex let out a wet laugh and stared down at his hand in between Michael’s. He got to watch and feel as Michael rubbed his thumb over the heel of his hands, his fingers stretching up past the cuff of his shirt to feel his wrist. His other hand traced over his palm and dedicated time to play with each of his fingers. Alex didn’t even care as a tear rolled over his cheek.

“So, uh,” Michael said after a moment, “Where else can I touch you?”

Alex managed to steal his eyes away from their hands to look at him, laughing as he shook his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so goddamn happy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been happy at all. But right now was amazing.

Right now, he didn’t feel alone.

“I barely know you,” Alex pointed out. Michael shrugged slightly and Alex felt his foot drag up his leg.

“I’m excited to know you,” Michael said decisively. 

Alex couldn’t lie. He was excited too.

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
